Counterbalance assemblies are used for a variety of means known in the art. A common example includes counterbalances used to assist with opening and closing large and/or heavy covers, e.g., a ceramic smoker top which could be as heavy as seventy pounds or more. Such counterbalance assemblies are designed to provide a greater torque, which in turn provides a greater lifting force, during the initial opening of the counterbalance or cover, and the magnitude of torque decreases as the counterbalance opens further as less force is needed to assist with opening the cover. The reverse effect occurs upon closing the cover thereby minimizing the likelihood of impacting the cover on the body of the device.
Counterbalances of these types are difficult to assemble and/or install on a device, e.g., a ceramic smoker. Large spring forces must be loaded and contained throughout the assembly, or alternatively, the attachment of the counterbalance to the device may require special tooling, e.g., tooling to hold the cover in an open position during attachment. The foregoing has resulted in counterbalance assemblies with complex mechanical systems used to contain the spring forces.
Moreover, large, heavy pivoting or rotating assemblies can create safety concerns for some users. For example, exposed moving components in a counterbalance assembly can create dangerous pinch points. One such component can include a limiter to rotation of the counterbalance. Typically, rotation limiters rely on contact between two components to restrict rotation beyond a particular amount, and those components are at times easily accessible. An unsuspecting user can readily pinch a finger or article of clothing between moving components thereby creating an unsafe arrangement for a counterbalance.
As can be derived from the variety of devices and methods directed at providing counterbalance assemblies, many means have been contemplated to accomplish the desired end, i.e., easy to assemble and safe to use counterbalance structures. Heretofore, tradeoffs between cost, ease of assembly and safety were required. Thus, there is a long-felt need for a counterbalance that provides significant torque that requires reduced complexity for assembly and is safe to use.